About us

Established in 1986 and registered in 1987, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is the country’s apex independent human rights body. A non-political, not-for-profit organisation, HRCP is committed to realising the entire ambit of human rights—civil, political, economic, social, and cultural—for all citizens and persons present in the country. HRCP uses the framework provided by the fundamental freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan as well as international human rights instruments, to some of which Pakistan is a state party.

HRCP believes that this goal must be realised without any distinction or discrimination on grounds of gender, race, religion, sect or belief, ethnicity, area of origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic status. To this end, HRCP works closely with vulnerable, marginalised and excluded groups, such as women, children, members of ethnic and religious minorities, workers, peasants, and survivors of human rights abuses. HRCP’s flagship annual report, State of Human Rights, is widely considered the most comprehensive document available on this subject. Its monthly newsletter in Urdu, Jehd-e-Haq, reaches over 3,000 people across Pakistan.

The organisation’s secretariat is based in Lahore, with regional offices in Karachi, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Turbat, Multan, and Gilgit. HRCP’s Centre for Democratic Development operates from Islamabad. Our offices work with volunteers at the district level, augmented by hundreds of active members in cities and towns across Pakistan.

HRCP is a founding member of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) and an active member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development and the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM).

In 2010, HRCP was granted special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. In addition, the selection of two HRCP Council members—the late Asma Jahangir as a UN Special Rapporteur (on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; freedom of religion and belief; and the situation of human rights in Iran) and Hina Jilani as the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders—was largely in recognition of their work at and for HRCP. In 2013/14, they served on UN panels for Palestine and Sri Lanka.